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Apple's New Policy has Consequences

April 15, 2010 22:24:13.839

Apple's new policy hit Scratch (a Squeak based instructional tool for teaching kids about programming. I saw an email from John McIntosh about it this morning, and now Lambda the Ultimate has noticed:

If the general idea wasn't enough to make you mad, or if you wrote it off as being purely an Apple/Adobe spat, this ought to cut a bit closer to LtU's heart... Apple removes Scratch from iPad/iPhone/iTouch. My wife has taught a couple of classes using Scratch with young kids, and to see the pride they feel at their creations is a marvelous thing. I think restricting their ability to share that feeling is really reprehensible. And the damage done to the programmers of tomorrow? Hard to say

Make chimes in on a similar note.

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posted by James Robertson

Comments

Re: Apple's New Policy has Consequences

[Torsten] April 16, 2010 11:12:53.727

Re: Apple's New Policy has Consequences

[John M McIntosh] April 16, 2010 15:07:33.828

Let me give everyone an update on what is going on with Scratch.app, I've seen lots of discussion and speculation flow by on the esug, scratch and pharo lists, some of it correct, and some of it incorrect.

First, Scratch.app was remove from sale in the app store because the Scratch programming language is an interpreted language, and it's not on the approved interpreted language list. My understanding is that Apple has not yet rejected apps because they are "made" with a particular language. The rejection is solely due to the result of Scratch being a non approved 'interpreted" language.

Second, I drafted a letter titled: "Rejecting an app with foundations in the Dynabook vision" and posted it to: [link 1]

At this time, this letter is not for public viewing since I want to have more discussion with Apple and the paid Apple developer community. It seems having public rage about the unfairness about what Apple is doing just makes Apple less receptive to dialog. I would ask the community not to cross post my letter anywhere until we have had more discussions with Apple. As an example this morning there was talk with a member of the App review team about having this matter ending up on Phil Shiller's desk.

Third, I sent a copy of the letter to Steve Jobs. He did respond. Our incomplete conversation is private, no solution or decision has been reached, and due to Apple's earnings reports coming up next tuesday I don't foresee any activity on the matter until after that event.

Fourth, I have interest & support from Dr Alan Kay, Dr Mitchel Resnick, and others, I think people do take the matter about the freedom to write applications in a language of their choosing and using a particular implementation (interpreted, JIT, compiled) seriously, so I hope movement with Apple on the general topic will occur shortly.

Once Apple's management team has made a response I'm sure you will all hear about it.

[1 https://devforums.apple.com/thread/46425]

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